Types of Camera Film

135 (35mm) Film

The term 135 (ISO 1007) was introduced by Kodak in 1934^[1] as a designation for the cassette for 35 mm film, specifically for still photography. It quickly grew in popularity, surpassing 120 film by the late 1960s to become the most popular photographic film size. Despite competition from formats such as 828, 126, 110, and APS, it remains so today.

135 (35mm) Film for sale – Local Photo Shop, Discount Store (£1 Shops), Supermarkets & eBay sites (good for out of date film which can give cool effects)

135 (35mm) Processing – Local Photo Shop, Photo Websites & Supermarkets (this can be the cheapest processing)

 

APS Film

Advanced Photo System (APS) is a now discontinued film format for still photography first produced in 1996. It was marketed by Eastman Kodak under the brand name Advantix, by FujiFilm under the name Nexia, by AgfaPhoto under the name Futura and by Konica as Centuria.

APS Film for sale –  eBay sites (good for out of date film which can give cool effects)

APS Film Processing – Local Photo Shop, Photo Websites & Supermarkets (this can be the cheapest processing) or Revive Studios

 

 

110 Film

110 is a cartridge-based film format used in still photography. It was introduced by Kodak in 1972. 110 is essentially a miniaturised version of Kodak’s earlier 126 film format. Each frame is 13 mm × 17 mm (0.51 in × 0.67 in), with one registration hole.

The film is fully housed in a plastic cartridge, which also registers the image when the film is advanced. There is a continuous backing paper, and the frame number and film type are visible through a window at the rear of the cartridge. The film does not need to be rewound and is very simple to load and unload. It is pre-exposed with frame lines and numbers, a feature intended to make it easier and more efficient for photofinishers to print.

Unlike later competing formats, such as disc and APS film, processed 110 negatives were returned in strips, without the original cartridge.

110 Film for sale – Fuji Digital Imaging Service Or eBay sites (good for out of date film which can give cool effects)

110 Film Processing – Fuji Digital Imaging Service

 

126 Film

126 is the number given to a cartridge-based film format used in still photography. It was introduced by Kodak in 1963, and is associated mainly with low-end point-and-shoot cameras, particularly Kodak’s own Instamatic series of cameras.

Although 126 was once very popular, as of 2008 it is no longer manufactured, and few photofinishers will process it.

126 Film for sale – Fuji Digital Imaging Service or eBay sites (good for out of date film which can give cool effects)

126 Film Processing – Fuji Digital Imaging Service

 

127 Film

127 is a roll film format for still photography introduced by Kodak in 1912.

The film itself is 46mm wide, placing it between 35mm and 120 “medium format” films in terms of size.^[1] The image format normally used is a square 4×4 cm. However, rectangular 4×3 cm and 4×6 cm are also standard.

127 enjoyed mainstream popularity until its usage began to decline from the 1960s onwards in the face of newer, cartridge-based films.^[2] However, as of 2013 it survives as a niche format.

127 Film for sale – Photo Supplies UK , Fuji Digital Imaging Service or eBay sites (good for out of date film which can give cool effects)

127 Film Processing – Photo Supplies UK or Fuji Digital Imaging Service

 

120 Film

120 is a popular film format for still photography introduced by Kodak for their Brownie No. 2 in 1901. It was originally intended for amateur photography but was later superseded in this role by 135 film. 120 film and its close relative, 220 film, survive to this day as the only medium format films that are readily available to both professionals and amateur enthusiasts.

120 Film for sale – Photo Supplies UK or eBay sites (good for out of date film which can give cool effects)

120 Film Processing – Photo Supplies UK

A new Member to my collection

Coronet Rapide folding camera

Coronet was a British camera maker and it has produced lot of various models, but only four of them where folding: Coronet, Coronet Rapide, Coronet Clipper and Coronet Rex.

The Rapide has fixed f/11 aperture, fixed focus (From my experience everything is in focus from 5 foots) and the only thing you can change is shutter speed, it has two modes: time – for night shooting (same like B ) and instant mode (which i guess is between 1/60s and 1/125s ).

 

How to Solve Common Exposure Problems

In film photography, there may be nothing more disappointing than shooting an entire roll of film, spending the time to develop it, and then realizing that the images didn’t turn out as expected. Here are a few common exposure problems and some tips to resolve them for the next shoot.

Negative is too light overall, resulting in a print too dark

When film negatives are too light, it likely means it was underexposed. The film speed may have been set too high, shutter speed was too fast, the aperture was too small, or possibly all of the above. It is also possible that the film received less development than necessary in the darkroom. The best way to avoid this problem in the future is to carefully review your film speed and ensure all camera controls are properly set. If rolls of film are frequently underexposed your light meter may also be inaccurate.

Negative is too dark overall, resulting in a print too light

When film negatives are too dark, it likely means it was overexposed. Film speed may have been set too low, shutter speed too slow, or the aperture too wide, or maybe all of the above. It is also possible that the film received too much development time. Again, the best way to avoid this problem is to carefully review all camera settings, including film speed, shutter speed, and aperture. If entire rolls of film are commonly overexposed your light meter may also be inaccurate.

Bright scene is too dark

Common with winter photography or when a scene is too bright overall, the light meter will average all tones for an average mid-gray tone. The problem is that this will turn any bright scene darker. To compensate for this, open the aperture one or two f-stops to overexpose the scene. Learn more about exposing in snow and bright scenes in winter photography tips and techniques.

Subject is too dark against a lighter background

If the subject is backlit by a light source, your light meter may be overly influenced by the background and underexpose the subject. To correct this, move the light meter closure to the subject, measure, set your shutter speed and aperture, then step back into position to take the photograph. Learn more about photographing backlit subjects in exposing for backlighting.

No picture is present but film frame numbers appear

If the entire roll is blank but the film frame numbers are visible then it likely did not catch on the film advance reel. If just a few frames are blank then the lens cap may have been on or the shutter may have failed to open. To ensure that the film is advancing, check that the rewind lever rotates when you advance the film or the frame counter advances. You can also check shutter functionality by opening the back of the camera and pressing the shutter release

No picture is present and no film frame numbers appear

If no frame numbers appear, there was a problem during the film development or it was not developed at all. It is also possible that the film was exposed to light prior to being developed. Review film processing to make sure the necessary steps were completed.

Double or multiple exposures

If images on the negative overlap over the entire roll, you may have accidentally put the same roll of film through the camera. To avoid this, simply be sure to mark film that has been exposed. If images overlap on just one or a few frames, the film did not advance properly. There is a slight possibility that this results from the photographer failing to advance the film a full frame between exposures. But if it commonly happens have the film advance mechanisms checked.

I hope this will help you understand and to get the best out of your Retro Camera

My Modern Brownie

I have been collecting “Retro Cameras” for  about a year now. After remembering my love for good old film photography! The love for the while process of film and the “you don’t know what you’ll get until you see it” when developing. I found that the Box Brownie Cameras are such fun to play with and placing 35mm film in them gives them a new lease of life. Once i have taken my fun 35mm photos with my brownie i found a problem! how do you get the film back into the roll without exposing the film to light? I found a room with no windows and left the light off. This was not great as trying to wind it in the dark is not easy, so i had an idea of converting a brownie to take 35mm and so you can wind it back in the the container.

Retro Cameras are always a great find, and at car boot sales you can get a good bargain! At one of these sales i found my project peace. A 1920/30 Kodak Brownie no2a model B, this was in the best on conditions as the box outer was well worn and the shutter seem to stick.

I decided to make a complete new outer box for it so the only original parts would be where the film sat and the lens block and shutter mechanism. so i took it all apart taking photos along the way so i could refer to them when putting it back together.

I started by making the outer shell, mount board from your local craft store is good for this as its light and strong. I coved the inside with black paper to give it a bit more light proofing. An insert was needed to bridge the gap from the front to the main box, i also used mount board covered in black sugar paper.

once the front outer and the main box was complete and all windows cut out i purchased some sticky vinyl (you can get this from most craft or DIY stores). Carefully wrapping the mount board so you do not get creases and over lapping at the bottom of the camera so it will stay tight and stuck.

Most of the camera parts are unique so i cleaned them up and refitted to the new camera body.

A cool carry handle was added mostly for visuals purposes.

once most of the camera parts where added to the new shell, i made another hole in the inner film case so i could have two winders. The top one being for the the 35mm case so i can wind it back once the film was done. Two sponge mop clips where used for the winding handles (which matched the new box colour great).

The spindle winder i used a brass hook and crushed it to fit in the 120 film spindle slot. Then screwed it in to the mop clip. Also the holes for the clips where made round so making it possible to remove the clips when getting the film out of the casing.

The section which would hold the 35mm film would need a little modification. once the extra hole was created i measured the length the winding handle would need to go in to turn the film casing. A round peace of plastic and a peace made in to a fork was used to help turn the film casing.

The 120 film support came in handy to help keep the 35mm film in place. A plastic plug was used to also to help stop the film from moving out of position.

The front, i had this made from a scrap peace of aluminum, the holes where cut to the same as the original. being silver the light may bounce of the inside of the camera front so i sprayed it Mat Black to prevent this. I counter sank the screws so they would sit flush to the plate. Due to the Front being metal i had the problem of fixing the view finder lenses, so i used a small nut and bolt and counter sank the bolt head like i had done with the screws.

Once all the peaces where in place, i just added some stickers to give it the brownie look. and here is the finished camera!!

Now its done time to try it with a film in!! watch this space for the Photos.

If you do not want to re-create a brownie like above, i found a cool site which can give you ideas how to make your brownie look different – CLICK HERE

Retro Camera Uk – Now on Flickr

Why not show off your retro film photos on our Flickr page.

How Film Works

Here is a very very basic rundown of what film is, in general, for those of you who are curious or interested in understanding more about chemical composition in photography. I will say that once you have a solid grasp of how paper and film are made and the chemicals used to develop them, it’s easy to venture off into the world of alternative processing… which is super fun. I’ll go more in depth later about alternative processing (personally I have always wanted to do albumen prints but have never had a darkroom to myself where I could) but for now let’s start with the 101 of how film works:Film is composed of layers. Many layers. These are different for color, slide, black and white, and instant film but all contain millions of light-sensitive silver halide crystals (what we call grain) that you expose when you pop the shutter. While the other layers are crucial, for our purposes we will be looking at the light sensitive layers. Color film has three layers of silver halide: red, blue, and green.

Slide film has a few more layers than C-41:

Black and white paper is what we call “orthochromatic” which is basically a fancy word for “red blind.” This is why you can print black and white in a darkroom with the redlight on, allowing for minimal vision, whereas when printing color you must remain in total darkness. Very weird, and kind of fun. Technically you can still buy orthochromatic black and white film, but it’s not very common. Most black and white film today is panchromatic, which means it is sensitive to all colors of the visible light spectrum. The layer composition of black and white film is simpler:

You’ll notice they all have what we call an “antihalation” coating or layer, which is basically applied to the back layer to absorb stray reflecting light from the film emulsion.

So basically, that sums up how film absorbs light… um, for beginners.

Article Sourced from “i still shoot film”